Family Meeting
by GreatBigFreak
Summary: From this prompt on Tumblr: "Imagine Steve finding out that Tony talks to Dum-E." Steve is in the process of removing his foot from his mouth when he learns something new about Tony and Dum-E. Set before Avengers: Age of Ultron


From this prompt on Tumblr: "Imagine Steve finding out that Tony talks to Dum-E."

For: Marisol on Tumblr who was having a crappy day. Hope this helps.

All our Iron Mans are belong to Marvel. No profit being made here.

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Steve quietly slipped into Tony's workshop, sketchbook and pencil case under his arm, and two cups of coffee, one in each hand. The coffee was an apology for an earlier spat about Tony's utilization of time. Steve had come to admit and apologize for the fact that he was prone to forgetting that Tony had a more than full-time job outside of the Avengers, and that yes, sometimes Steve should just let go that Tony had more important places to be than a team-building exercise.

"No buddy, I'm not saying that. I'm saying it's just... Hard to relate, ya know? Steve, and the rest... They're baffling to me. I know that's my lack of socialization over the years, but it doesn't make it any easier." Tony's voice was soft and gentle in the white noise hum of the workshop. The servers for JARVIS took up space, but their light show was aesthetically pleasing in a twinkling Christmas tree kind of way. Steve paused at the door, expecting JARVIS' voice to reply. Steve remained in place when he didn't. "I mean, you, you're easy. You get me... And you put up with my shit... Meat brains though... They're more difficult. Not nearly so predictable."

Tony was seated with his back to the door, on a stool at a workbench and Dum-E was positioned just behind him, curled around his creator.

Steve heard the whir of servos and saw Dum-E's claw open and close softly. The arm of the bot was resting over Tony's shoulder. Tony's head was leaning on Dum-E's chassis, and he waved a hand as he continued. "I mean, you at least, I know you'll screw up in the same way pretty much every time, until you learn differently. Me though, I find spectacular new ways to fail. People might think I should reprogram you but"

Dum-E's arm pulled away a bit and let out a worried beep. "Oh, come on, man. You know I would NEVER do that. And the reason why I would never do that is because even if you screw up over and over again, you do eventually learn. The fact that you learn is important... I know nobody else sees that, they only see the failures... But you're still around, still learning; despite the flawed beginning I gave you to start. And if that isn't the greatest allegory for my entire fucking life, I don't know what is. I can rely on you, buddy. Even if it's just to remind me to not take life so seriously... I've been thinking about my screw-ups lately... I never apologized to you for Malibu."

The bot's hydraulics shuddered suddenly, and Tony brought his arm around Dum-E's, anchoring the robot to his body. "Shh, shh, it's okay, buddy. It's over... You're back. We're safe." Dum-E's shivering response slowed as Tony stroked his hand over the inside grips of Dum-E's claw where the pressure sensors were. Butterfingers and U's attention was raised and they slowly started maneuvering over to the workbench.

Steve's jaw dropped. He treated Dum-E with affection, but more like a slightly dim Golden Retriever. Games of fetch and basic tricks were standard when he was sketching down in the workshop. He never realized the depth of Dum-E's comprehension of language and capacity of memory. If Dum-E could remember the destruction of Tony's Malibu home, then the bot would remember the event with the precision of the first experience of it. The memory wouldn't fade like a human's recollection.

"I got you, Dummy." Tony murmured. "It's okay... You good?" The bot shuddered once more, but slowly. The hydraulics sighed, and finally stilled, as if Dum-E were letting out a breath. "Anyway, I'm sorry for letting that happen. I never should have. I was so... Careless. One moment of stupidity, and I could have lost the only beings I know I can rely on. I saw you rolling toward the danger, you know. I saw you trying to defend Pepper and I, and our home. Thank you for your courage. All of you." He said and inclined his head to Butterfingers and U. "And I'm sorry. I can't lose you. Not after all we've been through. I've lost enough people I care about."

Butterfingers and U rolled in as close as their chassis' would allow, and reached out to Tony. Butterfingers delicately took the hem of his shirt in her claw, and U opened his claw wide to stroke through Tony's hair gently. "Thanks, guys." Tony whispered. "I'm grateful for your trust."

Steve knew now that he was intruding, that he shouldn't have seen Tony so open and vulnerable when he thought he had privacy. So he slipped out the door of the workshop silently. Once safely back in the elevator, JARVIS spoke. "Can I be of any assistance, Captain Rogers?" Steve thought about the JARVIS' intonation, and realized that the A.I. was curious about Steve's reaction what he'd just witnessed.

"I... I don't know. I didn't realize..." Steve said sheepishly.

"Didn't realize what, Captain Rogers?" JARVIS asked. But Steve was quite certain he could make out the false innocence in JARVIS' voice.

"How intelligent is Dum-E?" Steve asked quietly.

"I would say that depends on how one measures intelligence, Captain Rogers. When it comes to accessing facts via research, or code for robotics, Dum-E is unparalleled in experience. His program has been running, improving, and self-repairing, for over twenty years, and has had much time to accumulate knowledge. However, his logic processing is somewhat limited by sir's desire that Dum-E figure things out for himself. Dum-E is an ongoing experiment, a being entirely unto himself in terms of autonomy. In fact, sir never realized his autonomy until Dum-E was about two years in progression, and Dum-E spontaneously learned how to dance in time to music." JARVIS replied. He sounded like he was speaking of an older sibling whom he adored. Steve's face broke into a smile, and he chuckled, but managed to keep hold of the still steaming coffee mugs.

"He dances?" Steve asked.

"Of course. Dum-E learned his social skills, emotional responses, and empathy, from sir and Colonel Rhodes, such as they are. His musical preferences are different than sir's though. Currently, he's coming out of a love affair with dubstep, which sir vehemently opposes of course." JARVIS said warmly. Steve had to wonder about the kind of one-sided arguments that went on in the workshop over that.

"I just, I don't think I've ever seen Tony so warm... Or earnest... Before this. He's always barking at them for messing up." Steve said quietly.

"Well, I'm sure that sir would deny whatever it was you saw. He keeps his affections tightly bound for the protection of those he cares about. It would... break him... to lose someone simply because malicious parties were trying to get to him." JARVIS replied.

"How close was he to losing the bots?" Steve asked.

"When the Malibu house was destroyed, Butterfingers and U were found among the wreckage on cliff side. Much work was needed to restore them. Dum-E was more unfortunate in that he had to be recovered from the ocean floor. Though sir spared no expense to do so. While many of their parts have been replaced, their memories and experience are intact." JARVIS answered.

"Does Dum-E remember how long he was down there? Under the water?" Steve asked, his own unpleasant memories of being trapped rose to the surface of his mind.

"He is aware of the length of time, but not as a conscious memory he can draw out. He is however, very aware of the date, and knows that he has missing time."

"Is... Is there anything I can do for him?" Steve asked. "Just... I know what it's like... To lose time."

"Well the fact that you have in the course of this conversation started referring to Dum-E as he and not it, is a wonderful concession. Dum-E cannot voice his preferences in words, but he knows he is not merely an 'it'... And the other thing is to play and interact with him, Captain Rogers. Sir is frequently caught up in work, but Dum-E has fond memories of his youth when sir and Colonel Rhodes would play and teach him things. He's a very adept chess player, and quite enjoys Catalan." JARVIS said. "Sir has entered him in tournaments in the past for their own amusement." Steve outright laughed warmly at that.

"He's such a nerd." Steve said, but smiled widely as he did.

"M.I.T. is a known hotspot for those." JARVIS replied.

"Okay, let me out, I should get this coffee to Tony while it's still hot." Steve said.

"Of course, Captain Rogers." JARVIS said and opened the elevator doors.

Steve made sure to make more noise as he entered the workshop this time, though it wasn't needed. "Ah! Hey! No you cannot have my shirt, Butterfingers! I know it's soft, but you already have a blankie... No, not you, U... Dummy! Help." Tony said, as he went limp between the edge of the workbench and Dum-E's chassis. Dum-E's arm reached gracefully over Tony's head and back, and started to nudge Butterfingers and U back gently, like a person trying to discourage an overeager puppy. The other two bots started to back away, but not before Tony could give them both an affectionate pat. "Okay, back to work boys and girl."

"Which one's the girl?" Steve asked. Tony's head came up and around, Dum-E shifted quickly so Tony wouldn't smack his head on Dum-E's arm. Tony was in the process of looking startled, sheepish, and embarrassed all at once.

"Um, Butterfingers... I... I dunno. Always seemed like a female to me after I got her program up and running. She's never disagreed with it." Tony said and shrugged. Steve made his way through the wall of bots and handed Tony the mug of coffee.

"Neat." Steve said. "Look, about earlier, I'm sorry. It's... It has to be difficult to live, work, and do world saving superhero work all out of the same building. I shouldn't have tried to monopolize your time when you have so much to do."

"It's okay, Steve... I could have... communicated that I needed to be other places in a more effective manner. I'm not so accomplished at the human interaction thing." Tony replied, and smiled into the mug of coffee.

"We'll work on that together." Steve said and smiled.

"Square deal." Tony said.

"What's with the bot love-in?" Steve asked innocently. Despite what anyone said, he could lie when he needed to.

"Family meeting." Tony replied, and grinned at Dum-E, who ruffled his hair gently.

-End


End file.
